


Girl Next Door

by Reioka



Series: Girl Next Door [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-20
Updated: 2013-11-20
Packaged: 2018-01-02 04:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1052454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reioka/pseuds/Reioka
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grzegorz was two when the Andersons moved back from Florida. It was also the hottest summer on record for the past twenty years and the Stilinskis’ air conditioner had broken down with an honest-to-God ‘clunk.’</p>
            </blockquote>





	Girl Next Door

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first foray into the Teen Wolf fandom, so we'll see how it goes. I know a lot of people aren't fans of original characters, but this story line would NOT leave me alone, and I figured that it's not completely terrible, so maybe someone else might enjoy it.  
> I notice everyone choosing a different name for Sheriff Stilinski. I decided I liked the name Ivan for this particular story line. Unless they've revealed the Sheriff's name already, in which case someone tell me, even though I don't think they have but I miss things?!  
> Also I have no idea how two-year-olds work, but I firmly believe that Stiles would be both the best and the terriblest two. \o/  
> I have no idea what I'm doing so any advice would be appreciated, too!

 

 

Grzegorz was two when the Andersons moved back from Florida. It was also the hottest summer on record for the past twenty years and the Stilinskis’ air conditioner had broken down with an honest-to-God ‘clunk.’

 

Ivan was due to go into the station in twenty minutes, the warranty had just run out on the conditioner, and it seemed like every family was on vacation, so he had nowhere to take his exhausted wife and cranky son to cool down. They’d left the windows open during the night in the hopes that they could cool the house down and close up before the day got hot, but it had never dropped below sixty in the night and they’d all slept poorly.

 

Claudia thought seriously about digging a hole under the tree in the backyard and burying herself in the cool soil, but she wasn’t sure she could do it without Grzegorz wandering over and eating handfuls of dirt. He was still in the ‘everything goes into my mouth before I look at it’ stage, apparently. “Well, I guess baking ‘welcome back’ cookies is out of the question.”

 

“It’s so hot that they’d probably rather just eat the dough anyway.” Ivan ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Besides, they’re old. They’d probably prefer prunes.” He grunted when his wife smacked him with the back of her hand in the stomach, but he couldn’t help the corner of his mouth quirking up as she muffled a laugh. “Hell, maybe you can go over and ask if they have a fan or something.”

 

“ _Hell!_ ”

 

Claudia gasped and looked down at her son, then shot her husband a glare. “ _Ivan._ ”

 

Grzegorz clapped his hands gleefully. “Hell!”

 

“Now I can _never_ go over there!” she hissed, picking the toddler up and bouncing him.

 

Ivan shrugged. “Just tell them he hasn’t realized there’s an O on the end of ‘hello’ yet.”

 

Claudia rolled her eyes. “Ivan, the Andersons are Roman Catholic! I’ll be lucky if they even let me in the _door_ if he says that in front of them!”

 

“Well I mean, they probably won’t be here long anyway,” he replied awkwardly.

 

Her eyebrows flew up so fast it was a wonder they didn’t fly off her face. “ _Did you just insinuate that they’re going to die soon!?_ ”

 

“I would never do that.” Ivan looked at his watch. “Oh, look at the time; if I don’t leave now, I’ll be late for my shift!”

 

“You are so lucky you’re cute,” Claudia muttered, reaching out for the front of his shirt and tugging him close so she could give him a quick kiss. “I’d say I’d leave dinner for you in the oven, but I’m pretty sure I’ll melt if I try to cook anything. I will be eating some of Grzegorz’s baby food.”

 

Ivan smiled against her lips. “Save me some strained peas.”

 

She let out a startled bark of laughter and swatted him on the arm before shooing him toward the door. “Go to work before you’re late, you big lout.”

 

He pressed a kiss to his son’s head before moving out the door, calling out, “I’m a cute lout!” He shut the door, then peeked back in. “I’ll ask if you guys can come sit in the station if it gets too hot.”

 

“I might just go on a crime-spree to get arrested and put in there myself,” she retorted, smiling a little. She bounced Grzegorz again. “Maybe make sure Grzegorz has a candy bar in his hand so he can come too.”

 

“Wouldn’t that be a wonderful impression for my boss,” Ivan drawled, smirking a little, before giving a short wave. “See you later!”

 

“Bye!” She waved back at him, then grabbed Grzegorz’s arm and made him wave his little hand, too. “Say goodbye to Daddy, Grzegorz!”

 

“Bahbah Daddy!” the toddler shouted, waving around so vigorously that Claudia nearly dropped him. She caught him, though, because she’d had two years to get used to his wiggling.

 

She went to the window and watched the patrol car pull out of the driveway, feeling that bone-deep worry that her husband might not come home even though the most he’d done so far was issue some parking tickets and scold some kids drinking in the preserve. She knew she was being a little over-dramatic. They lived in Beacon Hills, and nothing ever happened in Beacon Hills. Still, her husband was in law-enforcement, and she would always be a little worried.

 

She jumped when she heard a knock at the door. “Wah!” She fumbled to keep a grip on Grzegorz (unfortunately his flailing was inherited from her), then placed him in his playpen and hurried to the door, wondering who on earth it could be because she’d been staring at the driveway and hadn’t seen anyone walk up. She hadn’t really been looking, but she thought she’d at least notice someone coming up the drive.

 

Claudia peeked through the peep-hole, but didn’t see anything. _‘Must be a midget,’_ she told herself with a quiet, guilty chuckle, then opened the door and _oh._

 

The girl looking up at her had clearly been through the wringer. She had yellowing bruises up and down her arms, and there was a cut on her lower lip that was just finishing healing. Her curly brown hair was tugged into a loose French braid that was already falling out, and her eyes looked huge behind her thick glasses. The girl noticed her gaze and quickly clasped her hands behind her back, toeing the stoop nervously.

 

“Oh, honey,” she whispered, kneeling so she was closer to her height. “Were you looking for my husband?”

 

The girl shook her head quickly. “No, ma’am. My grandparents sent me over here because Grandpa heard your air conditioner go out and he thought you might need a place to cool down later.”

 

“Your grandparents?” Claudia blinked at her, puzzled, before her eyes widened in realization. “The Andersons?”

 

The girl nodded. “Yes. Ma’am, please don’t worry. My grandparents didn’t do this to me. They fought for custody for me and now they’re keeping me safe,” she told her earnestly and clearly with no fear. “I’m okay now.”

 

Claudia paused, searching her face for any signs of fear, but all she could see in the child was a bone-deep relief; she really did feel safe here, and she recalled that the Andersons had always been kind to children. “Well… Are they sure? Grzegorz throws tantrums when he’s cranky.” She paused, then smiled and whispered, “We’re both a little cranky today. I probably won’t be good company.”

 

“I’ll make you some s’mores and you won’t be cranky anymore,” the girl replied firmly. “Gs-sh—Gzz—The baby can have some s’mores too.” She smiled, then hurriedly added, “If you say it’s okay, anyway.”

 

“Well, it’s a little hot for s’mores, but maybe some friendly company will help us de-grumpify,” she told the girl kindly, then stood, brushing her knees off. “What’s your name, sweetheart?”

 

“My name’s Madeline, but my Grandpa calls me Maddie. You can call me Maddie, too, if you want,” she answered shyly.

 

Claudia smiled again, a big one that made her eyes crinkle at the corners. “Okay, Maddie. My name’s Claudia Stilinski. I don’t have a nickname, but you don’t have to call me ‘ma’am.’ You can call me whatever you’re comfortable with, okay?”

 

Madeline straightened her shoulders. “My grandma says I should call you Mrs. Stilinski until we’ve known each other for at least a year.”

 

Claudia hummed thoughtfully. “Well, your grandma sounds like a sensible lady. But maybe we won’t have to wait that long.” She flinched as she heard a smash from the playpen. “Are you sure your grandparents are okay with us staying for a while, though?”

 

“Grandma says she misses a little noise around the house,” Madeline told her firmly.

 

“Okay, if she’s sure,” the woman replied, shrugging. “We’ll be over in a few minutes. I just need to get his diaper bag packed.”

 

“Okay.” Madeline turned and hopped down the stairs, then looked over her shoulder. “Grandma said I should offer to babysit for you, too, but I don’t want to heap too many requests on you.”

 

That startled a laugh out of her. She watched the girl skip back to the house kitty-corner from them, humming a tune that she’d never heard before. She caught a deep purple bruise on Madeline’s calf that looked much more recent than the ones on her arms and frowned, but pushed the concern down. She really hadn’t looked afraid, and she heard the girl shout that she was back as she slammed into the house, so she could hold off and wait to bring the subject up later, so long as she didn’t see any new bruises from then on.

 

Still, she couldn’t help making a call to her husband to tell him where they’d be and relating the story to him. He said to keep her eyes peeled, but from what she said, they had nothing to go on ( _yet,_ he’d added gravely).

 

.-.-.-.

 

Mrs. Anderson was just as terrifying as she’d been before they moved to Florida, Claudia realized with some dismay. How was it that a little old lady could inspire such discomfort in her? She wasn’t a child at the library anymore. She _was_ the librarian now!

 

Mrs. Anderson looked over her glasses at the toddler in her arms and her face melted into a smile that suddenly made her much more approachable. “Oh, and to think I wouldn’t have gotten to see you if I’d stayed in Tampa,” she cooed, reaching out to pat one of Grzegorz’s chubby cheeks. “Your mommy was always my favorite patron, you know!”

 

Claudia didn’t remember it that way, but Mrs. Anderson was old, so she wouldn’t call her on it. “His name is Grzegorz.”

 

“After your father? How sweet! May I hold him?” the elderly woman asked, then stood up straight again. “I understand if you say no, of course. It’s been years since I’ve seen you, and—”

 

“I’m more worried about him hitting you in the face,” Claudia admitted with some embarrassment. “It’s a phase that we’re trying to get him out of.”

 

Grzegorz turned to face the former librarian, then grinned and clapped his hands together. “Hell!”

 

Claudia thought about burying herself under the tree in her backyard and never coming back out. “Uh.”

 

Mrs. Anderson blinked at him slowly, then pointed a stern finger in his face. “You _never_ want to go there, Grzegorz.”

 

Grzegorz stared at her finger, then leaned forward and bit down on it.

 

Claudia would be glad if a hole swallowed them both up and spat them back out in their own living room, no matter how sweltering it was.

 

“ _You_ are going to be a terror for your mother,” Mrs. Anderson told him with some satisfaction, then plucked him from her arms and turned to carry him into the living room, where there was ( _blessedly_ ) a window unit keeping the room cool. “And she will finally learn just what a terror she was for _her_ mother. _Madeline, guests!_ ”

 

Madeline appeared in the doorway after them, smiling up at her before crossing over to the chair in the corner where, Claudia realized with a start, a little old man was sitting. He was so quiet, she hadn’t even noticed him.

 

Madeline placed her hand on the man’s and quietly asked, “Grandpa Jim, are you warm enough? Do you need a blanket?”

 

Jim’s smile was all gums, his dentures sitting in a glass beside him. “I’m fine, Maddie.”

 

“’kay.” She patted his hand, then turned, clasping her hands behind her to help her stand straighter. “Grandma?”

 

“Play with Grzegorz while Claudia and I catch up,” Mrs. Anderson ordered, but not unkindly, as she set him in the girl’s arms.

 

“Okay, Grandma. Do you like helping your mom in the kitchen, Gsh—Gshz—” She stopped and looked up at them helplessly, almost devastated.

 

Claudia felt a lump form in her throat as she wondered what had made her react so poorly to disappointment in such a way. “Maybe Grzegorz could use a nickname, too.”

 

Madeline looked unsure. “I shouldn’t be giving his a nickname. That’s a job for his friends in school, or you and Mr. Stilinski.”

 

Surprisingly, it was Mrs. Anderson that answered her, gently informing her, “He can have more than one nickname. This one can be special for you, Madeline.”

 

She still looked a little uncomfortable, but she looked down at Grzegorz and pursed her lips in thought. “What do you think?”

 

Grzegorz beamed up at her. “Hell!”

 

Madeline’s jaw dropped and she looked back up at them in horror. “Grandma—”

 

“They pick up all the words you _don’t_ want them to say first,” Mrs. Anderson laughed. “Your uncle’s favorite was the ‘D’ word after I went to a service about damnation.”

 

“But Uncle Benny has always been weird,” the girl muttered, for a moment looking petulant. She looked back down at Grzegorz and sighed through her nose. “I just read about a boy who was silly like you. I think I’ll call you _Sawyer._ ”

 

Claudia _hoped_ her son wouldn’t be a truant or get into trouble when he got older, but looking back on _her_ childhood, she realized that if he was anything like her, he would probably be the biggest handful of a child ever. “That’s a wonderful nickname, Maddie.”

 

She smiled up at her, bright and beautiful because of the praise. “Thank you, Mrs. Stilinski.”

 

The toddler gurgled before cheering, “Addie!”

 

Madeline smiled a little. “Well, Addie can be your special name for me, too. Hello, Sawyer.”

 

Grzegorz beamed up at her. “Hell!”

 

Madeline choked and took a step back in surprise, then scowled at him. “Baby Sawyer, I won’t let you help me make ice-cream if you keep saying that word.”

 

“ICECWEAM!” Grzegorz wailed, flailing wildly.

 

“I might even let you sneak a bite before lunch,” she added in a whisper, carrying him out of the room.

 

Claudia didn’t realize she was digging her nails into her palms until Mrs. Anderson gently clasped one of her hands in both of hers. “Oh.”

 

“Let me tell you a story,” the older woman said, and Claudia had a sudden flashback to story time at the library twenty-five years ago.

 

.-.-.-.

 

_Later, Claudia sobbed into large spoonfuls of homemade ice-cream, because she learned that Madeline Wilson was beaten by her mother for asking how they could be sure God existed, and why she wasn’t allowed to be friends with Molly even though it was Molly’s older sister that was gay. Mr. and Mrs. Anderson had taken custody of her and moved back to Beacon Hills to give her a fresh start._

_Later, she cried into her husband’s shoulder because Madeline was shy and sweet and kind and had tugged on Claudia’s shirt before they went home, quietly offering to babysit Baby Sawyer if she ever needed a day off. Madeline liked Grzegorz and wanted to spend time with him even though she was nine years older than him._

_Later, she mixed cookie dough and baked it even though it was still super hot outside and she had to drink a gallon of water to replace what she sweated out. Seeing Madeline patiently explaining how to make ice-cream to Grzegorz as they rolled coffee cans across the table had made something in her heart twinge, especially when her baby had repeated words throughout her entire speech._

_Later, she called Melissa and set up a play date for Scott and Grzegorz, because Melissa needed a babysitter more but she wanted Madeline to be interested. Madeline had immediately been hesitant when Claudia had suggested coming to some of the events at the library with children her own age, so she wanted to stay in her comfort zone, and people much younger or older than her seemed to be within that._

_And later, she watched Mrs. Anderson push her husband out in his wheelchair just before sunset, one of Madeline’s hands gripping his tightly. They walked around the block, returned home just as the streetlights were blinking on, and sat on the front porch. They looked happy._

**Author's Note:**

> So this one was mostly in Claudia's point of view (I'm still trying to hammer out the flow of these stories), and I think it was okay. The next one will be Stiles's point of view, so you'll have something to compare it to. Hopefully you liked it, but even if you didn't, at least you now have the mental image of Claudia-embarrassed-by-Stiles, which I think the fandom needs more of.


End file.
